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Win(d) or lose

Wind energy Electricity supply Energy
Changing governments have created uncertainty about Denmark's commitment to wind energy in recent years. The sector is seeing fluctuating funding, general cutbacks on research investment, and a slow down on wind turbine projects. This trend worries Head of Department Peter Hauge Madsen, who has led the wind energy research at DTU since 2012. He answers three questions on the issue below.

1. Why do we continue to invest in wind technology when we already have wind turbines?

Wind technology is mistakenly perceived as a mature technology that does not need further research and innovation. You can compare wind technology with automobile development. Even after automobiles had been put into production and conquered the world in around 1920, people continued to develop them. The same is true of wind technology. Making wind energy cheaper still holds considerable potential. A wind turbine is made from more than 8,000 components and requires knowledge from a wide range of disciplines, such as meteorology, aerodynamics, materials, and wind farm design—so much remains that can be optimized.

Yes, we have wind turbines today, and they produce electricity, but further development can ensure that wind power becomes a cheaper energy resource. This is necessary if it is to outperform fossil fuels. Whether or not we succeed in making wind energy cheaper can influence the green transition, not just in Denmark but around the world.

2. What can Denmark offer within wind technology that other countries cannot?

Denmark has created a cluster in the field of wind energy—a mix of researchers, engineers, companies, test facilities, and study programmes—within a relatively small geographical area. The fact that we are educating graduates in wind technology is quite unique. The diversity among students in DTU's programmes also reflects the large interest among people from all over the world in coming to Denmark to study. Denmark's cluster makes the country of interest to large wind turbine manufacturers, etc., because it is attractive to place their development in Denmark where everything is relatively close at hand and there is a qualified labour force. Denmark also enjoys a unique frontrunner position: In 2015, 42 per cent of Denmark's electricity supply was provided by wind energy. Globally, only 3.7 per cent of electricity consumption is met by wind energy.

As a role model, Denmark can demonstrate how we produce and integrate such large volumes of wind energy into our electricity system.

3. What consequences could result from Denmark investing less in wind technology?

The wind energy sector employs more than 31,000 people in Denmark. The majority of these jobs are located outside the major cities and comprise a larger proportion of knowledge jobs than is the case for enterprises in general. These are jobs we risk losing if companies choose to move their activities to countries with higher investments and aspirations. It is not just large companies that are involved. The Danish wind sector covers an entire food chain of small and medium-sized enterprises—typically suppliers of various components—which employ thousands of Danes. In 2016, the wind energy sector in Denmark generated export income of almost DKK 50 billion, corresponding to 4.6 per cent of the nation's total exports.

Now is the time for Denmark to reap the benefits of several decades of investment in wind technology. Globally, the wind sector is one of the fastest-growing industry sectors. UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) has estimated that we can expect the number of jobs in the global wind energy sector to triple by 2030. Several European and Asian nations are now making major investments in wind technology. If Denmark does not stay at the forefront, these other nations will take the lead and profit from the advance of wind energy.